Scenes from the 2016 Bal des Débutantes, the Night for Society’s Next “It Girls”

Seventeen young women from 11 countries were presented at the 2016 Bal des Débutantes, held over Thanksgiving weekend at the Peninsula hotel in Paris. Le Bal creator Ophélie Renouard reports that the purpose of the debutante ball has evolved in recent years, with Facebook and Instagram obviating the need
for formal introductions to society. Now, says Renouard, “Le Bal is rather the unforgettable moment of [the debutantes’] couture and media premieres.”
The ball benefited the Seleni Institute,
a nonprofit that supports reproductive and maternal mental health.